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17 Cory Watson Attorneys Named to the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America

Cory Watson Personal Injury Attorneys  >  Blog  >  17 Cory Watson Attorneys Named to the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America

August 21, 2025 | By Cory Watson Attorneys
17 Cory Watson Attorneys Named to the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America

Our firm has more than 45 years of experience providing exceptional legal services for our clients. This peer recognition exemplifies the standard and dedication our attorneys provide to our community and clients. On behalf of our thousands of clients nationwide, the team at Cory Watson Attorneys congratulates this outstanding group of lawyers for their achievement and well-deserved recognition. 

BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA 

The eleven Cory Watson Attorneys named as the 2026 Best Lawyers in Birmingham include: 

  • Ernest Cory, Co-Founder
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Leila Hirayama Watson, Co-Founder
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Elizabeth E. Chambers, Principal Emeritus
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Jon C. Conlin, Principal Attorney
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Douglas A. Dellaccio, Jr., Principal Attorney
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • G. Rick DiGiorgio, Of Counsel
    • Consumer Protection Law
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Stephen Hunt, Jr., Principal Attorney
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Hirlye “Ryan” Lutz, Principal Attorney
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • F. Jerome Tapley, Principal Attorney
    • Consumer Protection Law
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Brett Thompson, Principal Attorney
    • Civil Rights Law
  • Adam W. Pittman, Of Counsel
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

BEST LAWYERS : ONES TO WATCH 2026

Six of our firm's talented attorneys have been selected for The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2026 recognition: 

  • Hannah Cory Caldwell, Attorney
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • James E. Cory, Attorney
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Nicolas Gutierrez, Attorney
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Hamilton Jordan, Attorney
    • Insurance Law
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Hunter Phares, Attorney
    • Litigation - Environmental
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • R. Akira Watson, Attorney
    • Litigation - Environmental
    • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
    • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
    • Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs

About Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed publications in the legal profession. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Attorneys are not allowed to pay to be included as part of the annual list, making inclusion in Best Lawyers one of the highest accolades an attorney can receive. Corporate Counsel Magazine has called Best Lawyers "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."

About “Ones to Watch” Awards

Best Lawyers recognizes newer attorneys for outstanding legal excellence throughout the United States. Recipients of the “Ones to Watch” awards typically have been in practice less than 10 years, making the peer recognition even more significant.

About Best Lawyers

Cory Watson Attorneys is a nationally recognized complex litigation and personal injury law firm with offices in Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis, and Nashville, Tennessee. The firm has recovered more than $4 Billion for clients across the country. Cory Watson's attorneys are frequently at the forefront of major class actions and multidistrict litigations involving dangerous pharmaceuticals and product liability. Firm practice areas include Personal Injury, Product Liability, Class Action, Asbestos, Business & Commercial Litigation, Dangerous Pharmaceuticals, Defective Medical Devices, Governmental Litigation, and Environmental/Toxic Torts.

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Practice Areas

  • Montgomery Car Accident Lawyer
  • Huntsville Car Accident Lawyer
  • Memphis Defective Product Attorney
  • Nashville Defective Product Attorney
  • Memphis Bicycle Accident
  • Food Poisoning
  • Nashville Mass Tort
  • Memphis Mass Tort
  • Nashville Uber and Lyft Accident
  • Memphis Uber and Lyft Accident

Table Of Contents

  • BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA 
  • BEST LAWYERS : ONES TO WATCH 2026
  • About Best Lawyers
  • About “Ones to Watch” Awards
  • About Best Lawyers

Contact Cory Watson Attorneys

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Birmingham, AL 35205
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Nashville, TN 37203
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Memphis, TN 38103
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Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct require the following disclaimer: Case descriptions, recoveries and testimonials presented here are not an indication of future results. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. Litigation outcome and valuation depend on many factors including jurisdiction, venue, witnesses, parties, testimony and documentary evidence. Furthermore, no representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. Leila H. Watson, 2131 Magnolia Avenue, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, 205-271-7102, is responsible for the contents of this website.

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